Singing Medicine

The power of music, especially singing, goes back for centuries. There are many legends, stories about animals and humans changing, transforming even healing from the power of music. We still ignore this simple, non-expensive and available therapy. Those who sing regularly experience the incredible benefit of singing. This video introduces us to a project that is changing children's lives. Once you watch it, please spread this link all over the world. Projects like this we would need everywhere in hospitals and should be in every aged care. Music should be taught by singing primarily in schools, just like the way we approach music in Hungary, singing. We are all missing out on the most natural way to connect, spent time with each other, entertain, celebrate and make people feel good! Sing!
Watch and enjoy the Singing Medicine project video.

To tip or not to tip?

I had a coffee with friends at one of my favourite places today. I know the owner and I know most of the staff. They are great and the coffee is good. The most popular are the delicious, home made cakes that are made according to the secret recipes of the owner's Italian mum prepared by her own dear hands. I appreciate good service and good food so when I get them I like to leave a tip. Today we sat around longer than usual after finishing our cake and drink, chatting. We paid for our bill and left a tip on the table. After saying good-bye to each other with my friends, I was just about to drive away when I saw the waitress cleaning our table but not seeing and taking the tip we left for her as a thank you. Our table was on a busy pathway and we were worried that by-passers would just take the money so visible. We decided to give the cafe a quick call. Soon the waitress came out to check the money but for the time she got there a few people sat down at the table. The waitress picked up the money and left.
This situation made me think about how many times after giving tips to people I hear no thank you or see any form of sign of gratitude. What does that encourage? Not leaving a tip! It is a very simple example of how important it is to be grateful for everything we get!
What are you grateful today?

I am grateful that I woke up this morning, that I am healthy, that my music teaching business goes well, that a friend thought me worthy of asking me to work with her and promote new products in Australia that is a huge business opportunity, that I have lovely students and parents to work with, I am grateful that my brother is healthy and happy and that we are working pour business together, grateful that I have great friends.... and that I am doing what I love doing!

'Innercise' to reach your goals!

If you are serious about your goals and the future, take 30 minutes a day early every morning to focus on and reading your goals. In addition to affirmations, visualizations and role playing, run your fingers across your written goals to send another message through your fingers to your brain. In essence, program your own mind.

Today, technology is so advanced it's so much easier and there are many more evidence based methodologies to re train your brain. You may call it "Innercise".

Man walking on water

How many times have we heard that our only limitation is our own imagination?
At the time of the Paralympics watching the incredible human achievements of those athletes or meeting Nick Vujicic, the inspirational man with no limbs who just got married we have to stop and think.
I really wonder how pathetic we, humans, can be! The better lives we have, the more pathetic we become. However, the human spirit truly strives under pressure and adversity. There are plenty of examples of people, who in the darkest moments of their lives showed the greatest spirit. Their achievements inspire everyone who think their life is hard.

There are certain stories that we don't really know if true. Just tonight I saw Dynamo, the magician who can walk on water. According to my knowledge, there is only one story of a person who walked on water. His legend has been around for thousand years. Tonight, when I saw this young man walking on the Thames, I realized that truly only our imagination limits us.

What destroyed my spirit seeing him walking was the police. While I do understand that they have a duty, my heart sank and could not help thinking that there are people who just can't help and step back for a moment and be one with the magic. They just have to break and destroy the moment. Destroy the moment for all involved. For the person who creates the magic and for those who enjoy the magic and believe in it.  Like they don't want us to believe. I even risk this sentence. The destroyers are the non-believers.

During Dynamo's walk there was this moment when he was in the middle of the water. I might be not the only one to put his act in parallel with the legend. In that moment we all believed in miracles. It was one of those life changing moments we carry in ourselves for a life time. How sad that some people just had to ruin in it. Ruin it for everyone. No miracles. No magic. However, we saw it. We know it exists. We know, it's possible.
Dynamo's walk on water.

The future of Music

Hi, I hope you are having a great weekend. I am just working on my new book The Road to a Simple and Good Life. Checking my Facebook news, a dear colleague of mine has posted this article you will see below. I so agree with the writer's thoughts on music and education. My experience working at universities was that they are like a glass house, totally isolated from real life. Most of the lecturers hold on to positions throughout their whole life and die out from that position. On a national level it's like a musical chair, one moves and everyone shifts chair. 
I clearly recognized many years ago that to stay up to date and a real musician, I will need to leave the university and work for myself. I did not want to end up rigid, dogmatic and as an administrator instead of a musician and live in a ivory tower. It was a huge risk but it was worth it. I see a clear pattern emerging in my life that shows that my own personal and professional development and growth takes number one place instead of chasing jobs for money. Now, a few years later this clearly pays back in professional growth, productivity, creativity, happiness, lifestyle and in finances. I absolutely have no regrets. I wish, I had done this earlier!
The concerns mentioned in this article you will read have been my concerns for more than a decade and I have done myself what the author suggests. That's why with great passion and happiness I post her blog article here for others to read and share. The present crisis in our education system closely relates to these thoughts in the article.
Schools and educational institutions must keep up with technology and reform their teaching style to keep students interested. How irresponsible it is for music institutions to produce musicians who won't be able to make a living? Similarly, how many The Voice and XFactor shows should the TV run to make the impression that these young people will be stars and make a living as a performer? 

Please enjoy the article!
The End of the Symphony and How Today's Music Students Should Adapt

Today 18 years ago....

Big day. Today 18 years ago at midnight that I landed in Sydney first time in my life. Arrived for a position at the Canberra School of Music, Australian National University. Some could say I was stupid and adventurous to come to a continent I knew nothing about...I was terribly lonely and homesick but faced the challenges professionally. I enjoyed the traveling and learned as much as I could about the country, the land and its people. In this process I became one of them and grew to love it. I have seen more of Australia than most Australians do. Some videos are now up on my youtube channel on vargatube. I still miss Hungary but would be equally homesick for Australia as well. 

Check out my videos on vargatube!

I flew British Airways then Ansett (good old Ansett!) to Canberra. When I saw the land from the air approaching Canberra, I knew I would like it here. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Although I have lived abroad before in Europe, I did not anticipate the hardship that goes with leaving your country, home, family and friends and coming this far in a country you don't know anyone. Anyhow, I had incredible opportunities and did some great things I could have never done if I have not left. I made new friends and established myself professionally, built successful businesses and do new and fascinating things. Presently, I am working on the some great stuff so it is 'head down' time. Reflecting about the last 18 years is pretty emotional and makes me proud that I did not give up and run home where it was all comfy! Coming to Australia provided more challenges and makes me grow faster and go further. Forever grateful to my parents who always encouraged me to follow my dreams and believing that I can do anything and my brother Varga Pál for supporting me and being my very much loved brother. Just getting started in Australia :)

Hurray! Holiday!

Every teacher prays for the break to arrive. How about teaching during holidays? Hmmmmm....I am one of those lucky music teachers who teach in breaks. It just happened, years ago that I was asked if I could give lessons in the break. Now, it is an option for my students. Many of my mature-age students don't care about the school breaks so they want to keep having lessons. However, they are not alone. Many of my school-aged students have more time to practise and the parents want some holiday activity for the kids. A few of the parents or students just want to continue and enjoy the steady progress. I have a family in Brighton that I have been teaching for a few years now.

Tonight, after lesson we were standing at the gate with the mum of the two kids I teach and we were enjoying a great chat. She made a comment that made me think about this all. She mentioned that her younger child, a boy I started to teach this year after seeing her sister excelling in piano, was really looking forward to our lesson. Ryan has practised every single day,  played even 3-4 times a day so he was keen to see my reaction to his work! Mum laughingly mentioned that Ryan is an early riser and many times he is down at the piano at 6am! Somehow I can't imagine that he would be very popular in the family!!! Anyhow, the parents have a great attitude towards this. Hearing mum's comments after the lesson, I was glad that Ryan's work attracted my cheerful and demonstrative praise with lots of fun stickers acknowledging how well he is progressing! Kids truly respond well to positive feedback and praise when it is well deserved! Hmmm. Not only kids but adults as well!!! From the teacher's side, I need to admit that a good lesson puts me in a great mood and I never mind teaching during the holiday. The rewards are such that it i worth it.

Bach

Enviable life

I got the nicest compliment the other day from a mature student of mine. He commented that in his busy week as a successful businessman the hour he spends here in "Piroska's church" learning to play the piano, is when he clears his mind and has lots of fun. He also mentioned how much he envies me because I have so much fun teaching and writing music.  He made me think. He looked like he had everything. It looks like everything is not enough.

No bake health muesli bar

I have a few favourite health food shops where I get my TJ Clark Colloidal Minerals, Udo's Oil blend, Magnesium powder and healthy, organic ingredients, fruit and vegetables. I love spending time there and discover new things. One of the shops has a nominated day of the month when they offer discount. Of course I never get there on those days! Last time I was there they had a display table with products, recipes and food. This was the recipe of a health muesli bar I really liked so I thought I would share this yummy recipe with you! Let me know how you and your family liked it!

No Bake health muesli bar
Warning contains peanuts/nuts

Ingredients: 
2 cups Carman's fruit free Muesli (or favourite muesli)
2 cups Koala Crisp Cereal
1 cup Coconut
1/4 cup Chia Seeds
2 tablespoon Linseed Meal

3/4 cup Peanut Butter
2 tablespoons Tahini
1/2 cup Rice Syrup
1/4 cup Maple Syrup

Method:
In a small saucepan heat peanut butter, tahini, rice syrup and maple syrup until melted.
 Combine with muesli, koala cereal, coconut, chia seeds and linseed meal until well combined. Press into rectangular tin lined with baking paper. Refrigerate until set, 2-3 hours. Remove from tinm slice and enjoy. Store in fridge.

New Album released

Reason to celebrate. Just less than a year that I started to write and record my songs. While I am still holding back the ones with vocals in them, the songs that are only instrumentals have been released as my first album, for children called The Mandarin. Today I submitted the electronic distribution to more than 40 sites. In a few weeks time the album will be available for sale on many sites around the world. It is an incredible feeling!
So that my dear friends and followers could listen the album first and be the first to download the songs, I included on the the sites. Enjoy the album and feel free to leave comments!
Click here: The Mandarin on Reverb Nation

The Voice

I hate these TV programs. I always feel that they dumb down the profession. Anyhow, this time I had to watch it because the fact that the judges listened to the competitors with their backs toward them changed everything.  It was also interesting to get a feel as the competition went on of what they were actually looking for.
I got quite upset when in the first episodes they excluded people who were very mature vocally and had real star qualities. That is when I suddenly understood, thanks to Seal and Keith, that they are looking for potential and whom they individually capable of helping and mentoring.
Firstly, I need to say how much I liked that the program decided to hit a positive tone. The Voice easily could have gone with the usual nasty judges style and 'kill' many talented, young people who put themselves on the line in front of millions of viewers. Judge Seal comes across like a big, wise, black papa with his words weighing gold and every comment, even the tough ones coated with chocolate and kindness. The other judge whom I love and respect dearly is Keith Urban, whom I think is one of the nicest guys in the profession. Did I mention he is hot, hot hot? By the way. He is not the only one that is hot. I saw a posting on Facebook about Seal and I must agree. In a very unusual and masculine way, the ugly turned beautiful. He is sexy.
OK. Back to the competitors. The Voice. It proved what I knew through my own many decades of experience in the professional music arena. However, it is especially true for those in the performing arts. Let me use the same quote I used as the motto of my blog up on the top of this page by Stevie Wonder. “A lot of people say you need drive to realize your talent but the truth is, your talent is your drive.” Many competitors like the idea of fame and singing but will be not driven enough to make it.  Even when an incredible opportunity comes their way like The Voice. They don't have enough talent to shine through.  And many of them will shy away from the hard that that will be required to get to the top and stay in this profession. Real musicians breath music. It is like oxygen for them. They can't live without it. We can't live without it.  I definitely can't live without it! Music is not a job or work. Music is a lifestyle.

Anyone for an extra lesson?

Life is really great! Don't you just love this time of the year? Chilli morning and sunny, beautiful and warm during the day!
My music students are going well. Just yesterday I had a funny situation with one of them. I love chatting with the parents. We should have an extra 30 min just to catch up on news and chat. Anyhow, this lovely little one sat down at the piano and of course, with Mum we started to exchange the events of our days. He was sitting at the piano, waiting, waiting while we were still laughing and chatting. He told about his day as well and we started playing. He was absolutely brilliant. For a young student his sight reading is exceptional, his coordination is incredible and he even practices! in no time we made up the time we spent chatting with Mum because he learnt two pieces with such a speed that my jaw dropped. Then an idea came in my mind. I asked him and Mum if he would like to have an extra lesson on the weekend just to make up the 'chatting time'. He was quick to say yes, just a little bit earlier than Mum agreed. I could not stop smiling how keen he was to get an extra piano lesson. It is such a pleasure to work with someone like him and have such supportive parents like his Mum!

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